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A Four by Four Whatever’s Clean Capsule Wardrobe in Black, Beige, Marsala and Natural

As soon as I launched the newest Pantone Spring and Summer 2015 color scheme file (available here), someone asked me to do some work with the color of the year – Marsala. She had honed in on the black and khaki, and after a bit of discussion we agreed that the best 2nd accent color would be an unbleached linen/natural color. This is the palette we finally chose for a capsule wardrobe.

I started with black, of course! Sleeveless and short-sleeved, cropped pants and “normal” pants, and all from 3.1 Phillip Lim, just for ease of matchy-matchedness. You can, of course, find your four pieces from a different, less pricey, company, or mix them from a few different places.

In fact, in order to find four pieces in khaki, I went to a couple of different sources. Once you’ve chosen a color scheme, you sometimes have to do some digging, or just be patient, in order to get the items you really want!

But HERE’S where things got difficult – if Marsala is really the color of the year, it’s doing a heck of a time hiding from the general public! I finally remembered that Lands’ End always carries a really good assortment that they call burgundy – for school uniforms! But these pieces are as close as I could find to the slightly more brown/less purple Marsala… And one thing you know – these will ALL go together, they aren’t going out of style, and they’re well made. So if you’re interested in this color, try looking for burgundy, maroon, oxblood, dark red…

These are your sixteen pieces of clothing. This would make a smashing, simple suitcase, or an easy wardrobe for a summer spent in a location not terribly hot, and where you occasionally are going to dress up. Substitute a pair of shorts for a skirt, or a tank top for a long-sleeved tee, as needed…

I was going to show a handful of outfits with accessories, but I felt strongly that it was important to show the enormous number of possibilities available from just a small selection of well-chosen pieces of clothing. By my calculations, this ensemble should give you at least 100 different options! Add in a black cardigan, a couple of pair of shorts and a tank top or two – you’d be set for the entire summer.

I imagine packing a bag like this and then just taking the train from place to place, all over Europe, from now until the cold weather sets in…

Comments

I have been looking for *wine* pieces for ages. The burgundy, while stunning (I do so love anything in that color family paired with khaki!), is on the "blue" side for me. That true wine/marsala color is like Unicorn pee.

Having decided that I would invest in burgundy for the next 3 years, I found the red shoes first, quickly followed by a handbag, ear rings and necklace, then a scarf and a plaid shirt. It's been good that I sew as I then created a beautiful shawl top from some fabric that I purchased years ago for the princely sum of $2 at a fair and I have bought some black and burgundy fabric to make a summer top. It has been challenging to find items that will work together, but I feel pleased with the end result. It has followed the accessories route that you have sometimes demonstrated well Janice, which allows me to participate in this space without investing too heavily in it.

It's funny you chose this palette, as I was thinking along those lines this morning… I find it difficult at times to find the right khaki/beige/natural tones, so I've lumped them together as one neutral and grab em where I can find them. I absolutely love this wine colour and am relieved that the marsala is close enough, that I can find it this year in the shops!

I was thinking of navy instead of black and a golderrod yellow as an accent.

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The Vivienne Files is a unique personal style blog with carefully-selected capsule wardrobes based on color palettes drawn from works of art, nature, and more. It helps women buy less clothing, and to love what they buy. Read more...

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